Stargate FF7
by ObsessiveCompulsiveValkyrie
Summary: SOLDIER First Class Cloud Strife gets a top-secret request to return to active duty. Upon accepting the post, he faces strange new enemies, a desperate rival, a beautiful woman, and death so many times he could spit at it. DISCONTINUED
1. Chapter 1: Active Duty

A/N: Howdy-do, folks! This idea has been bugging me to be written, and then had to go and be a brat and wouldn't come out properly for the longest time. I finally finished the first chapter, and decided to post it. This story, while called a crossover, is actually just the FF-7 characters placed into the universe of Stargate SG-1. The characters of SG-1 will not be making an appearance, unless I'm really desperate for some System Lords, so don't expect to see Colonel Jack O'Neill (two L's). This does not take place on Earth, either. It's kind of a tweaked version of Gaia… Only because I'm so lazy and didn't want to come up with all those planets, each city in FF7 will be a representation of the different worlds they visit.

I fixed this one up from the original version... This should still work with my plans, and it won't have as many crazy fans on my tail ^_^ Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy 7, any of its spin-offs, any other Final Fantasy, or Stargate SG-1. I am not receiving any money for this nor do I ever expect to.

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**Chapter 1**

**Active Duty**

He sat back in his chair, lacing his fingers behind his head, a motion that looked awkward with his shoulder pads. He was starting to get a little irritated, wondering what Shinra wanted now. The door to the conference room opened and a tall, dark-haired man walked in looking a little lost. He saw the man sitting at the table and cracked a grin. He sat down next to him, "Hey, Cloud! They called you, huh?"

The blond shook his head, incredibly annoyed by his predicament, "Unfortunately. My sister invited the family over for a barbeque… And I'm stuck here in this god-awful uniform," he picked at the black turtleneck sweater.

The dark-haired man laughed, "Only you'd be sorry to get called in for duty during a family get-together. The rest of the men in the world would only be too glad to ditch their mother for a chance to defend his country!"

Cloud looked around the room. Aside from the large, seven-seat table, there was a flag with the Shinra symbol on one side, two doors on different walls, a spiraling staircase going up, and a small table on the side. He raised an eyebrow at his companion, "And what part of this would you call 'defending my country'?"

He spread his hands wide, "Your family doesn't have to know."

He shook his head, "Zack… You're an idiot…"

They looked up as the door opened once more. An average heighted man with wavy, shoulder-length silver hair walked in and offered the SOLDIER salute. Cloud and Zack returned the salute and watched as he sat down opposite Cloud. The door opened once more and a young man with a silver ponytail came in, giving them a nod before dropping into the chair beside the other silver-haired man. It slid open once more and two men walked in, one with short, leafy blond hair, the other with a messy brown 'do. The blond sat down in the seat next to Zack and the other walked over to the large window on the wall opposite the door, glancing briefly at the metal barrier shielding the other side of the glass from view. Another brown-haired man walked in and leaned against the wall beside the door, completely ignoring the rest of them. The entrance opened and a slender woman with ivy-colored hair stepped in and took the final seat beside the ponytailed man. The eight of them sat in quiet until the doors slid open and a man with blond hair and thin framed glasses walked in. The six seated rose at once and all eight of them saluted at once. The new blond man nodded, returned the salute and said, "At ease." The rest of them all sat down in synch. He sat down in the seat at the head of the table, "Now then. I have asked the nine of you to join me here for-" he cut off, having noticed there were only eight people there. "Only eight of you are here… And that's including Fair…"

Cloud looked up, "If I may, Sir, why have we been brought here?"

"Ah, of course. I am Director Lazard Deusericus. I have asked that ten First Class SOLDIERS would meet me here today to discuss a new development in our country's future." He slid various folders down the table to each participant. Zack reached behind him to hand one to the brown haired man by the window, and the green-haired girl did the same for the man by the door.

Cloud opened his and skimmed it. He looked up, "What exactly are these, Sir?"

"Confidentiality agreements. Before I can get into the details of this, I'll need all of you to sign the line at the bottom of the page, legally binding you from repeating a thing we discuss within these walls."

"Mm," Cloud let a sound of confirmation escape his lips as he read the full document. He finished and picked up a pen before jotting his signature at the bottom in his neat penmanship. He closed the folder and slid it back to Lazard, who shook his head in a motion in a motion for him to keep it.

"Once all of you have signed the form, pass them back to me." Seven pages of paper found their way back to him. He counted them to make sure, double checking for signatures, and stacked them together inside an official Shinra folder.

The door to the room opened and a young man, no older than sixteen, came running in, silver hair flopping lazily in his face. He jumped to attention, "Sorry I'm late, Sir! Arc forgot to order the train tickets and-"

"That's enough, Ur." He slid another folder down the table to the new guy who read it and signed it with a grin on his face. After handing the paper back to Lazard, he took up a spot near the stairwell, trying to see what was up there. Lazard stuck his paper with the others and said, "Now then. On to business." He stood and walked over to the phone resting on the table on the side. He picked it up and pressed a single button, "Open the shield."

Cloud stood up and turned around as the metal wall blocking their view of the window started to shift upwards. He walked over and looked down at the humongous ring carved out of stone with various markings etched into the side. He felt someone bump his shoulder and turned to see he wasn't the only one staring. Even the mellow guy by the door had come over to see. The first brown-haired guy that had come in asked, "What is it, Sir?"

"That, Klauser, would be what we have dubbed, the 'Stargate.'"

The man with the wavy silver hair glanced over, "What does it do?"

"Harvey, is it…? Our researchers have discovered it was used in ancient times as a means of transportation. We've found that it creates a wormhole to another, similar gate, and provides a means to travel instantaneously to the other gate."

The laid-back brown-haired guy spoke up, "So, what're we here for?"

"Ah, straight to the point, Leonhart. I personally selected ten First Class SOLDIERS to lead ten teams to become a peaceful, exploratory force. Now, since only eight of you have shown, I'll brief you now. Follow me."

***

Cloud followed his military superior through the halls of the massive building as he led them to the room with the Stargate itself. The object in question was much larger than its appearance through the window made it look. The blond walked forward slowly, progressing up the ramp to the gate itself. He touched it gently and asked Lazard, "How does it work?"

"We haven't quite figured out how the ancient civilizations worked it, but we have constructed a makeshift system using Shinra's latest technology."

Leonhart spoke up, "So, what do we do?"

"As I said, I selected the eight of you plus two others to lead ten teams through the gate. These teams will be called Forgotten Future, and a number. For short, FF-1, FF-2, FF-3, and so on." Zack walked forward and held a stack of folders towards Lazard. He took the one off the top and opened it briefly. He scanned the crowd of First Class SOLDIER's present and announced, "Firion Fynn. You will be the leader of FF-2. These are your new orders."

The man with the silver ponytail snapped a salute and walked forward, accepting the folder. Lazard continued, "Luneth Ur, You will lead FF-3."

He held out the folder as the teen who'd arrived late walked forward. Cloud couldn't help but not like him. He was cocky; the way he walked, smiled, and even his method of accepting the folder showed it. "Cecil Harvey. You have been assigned as the commander of FF-4."

The man with the wavy silver hair walked towards him after saluting and accepted the orders. Lazard looked into the next one, "Bartz Klauser. FF-5 is yours to command."

Bartz, the one who'd been standing by the window, took the folder, walked back to the others and started flipping through it. "Terra Branford. From this day forward, you are leader of FF-6."

The ivy-haired woman stepped forward and accepted her orders after a salute. "Cloud Strife." The blond looked up at the sound of his name, "You will head FF-7."

Cloud walked forward, hair spikes giving a little bounce as he snapped into a salute. He walked forward and reached out to take the folder. "Squall Leonhart. FF-8 is your responsibility now."

The laid-back brown-haired guy moved forward and took the folder, his actions all showing disinterest. Cloud could relate. Lazard looked around and motioned for Zack to skip the next folder. He handed him the last folder in the stack as his boss said, "Since our FF-9 leader is absent today, I'll move on to FF-10. Tidus Zanarkand, the position is yours."

The guy with the leafy blond hair moved forward and took his orders with energy in each step. Lazard crossed his hands behind his back, "Congratulations to all of you. The assignments for your teams are concealed within. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. In the meantime, dismissed!"

***

Cloud climbed on his motorcycle, Fenrir, and pulled on his goggles. He reached over to start the engine as a voice called out from behind him, "Hey! Cloud!"

He turned to see Zack running towards him, "What is it, Zack?"

He stopped next to him, panting, "Could you give a ride back to the Clearview Hotel? I got a ride here with another guy, but he's not done yet…"

"Fine. Cling, and I knock you off."

"Great! Thanks, man! I'm surprised you agreed though…"

"You questioning my decision?"

"No! No! You caught me off guard, is all." He climbed on the back, a grin never leaving his face.

He hunched over, grabbing the handlebars, "You're in luck. I'm heading there, too."

"Great! Maybe we can-!"

Cloud pumped the gas, pulling out of parking spot. "No. I already have dinner plans."

"Don't tell me you got a girlfriend…"

"No."

"Thank god…! I think I'd die if you got a girl before me…"

He glanced over his shoulder, "Shut up, Zack."

His grin widened.

***

Cloud slid his keycard into the slot and opened the door to his hotel room. He walked in with a sigh and tossed the folder containing his new orders onto one of the twin beds. He ran his hand down his face as he dropped onto the other one. He pulled out his cell phone and pressed speed dial '1.' A feminine voice picked up, "Hello?"

"Hey, it's me."

"Cloud!?"

"Yeah… Sorry I took so long to call. The damn meeting ran all day."

"It's okay. Better late than never, right?"

He rolled his eyes, "Your optimistic attitude never ceases to surprise me."

She giggled, "So… Are you coming home? Or…" her voice dropped a little, "Do you have to work?"

"Both."

"Huh?"

"I'll be coming home for a week, and then I have to come back."

"…For how long?"

"I have no idea."

"Will you get any relief time?"

"I don't know."

"That sucks… Oh… And Cloud?"

"Hm?"

"Denzel missed you."

"Tell him I'll be home soon."

"Okay!"

"I'll talk to you soon, then."

"Behave yourself, Cloud!"

He ran a hand down his face and replied sarcastically, "Love you, too." He looked down at the phone before snapping it shut. He sat there in silence, hating himself, _'Damn it… I promised I'd be there for mom's birthday… And now this new assignment comes up, and that's just gonna keep me from home… Maybe I can talk them into moving to Midgar…'_ A knock sounded at the door and he forced himself to get up, but not without a sigh. He walked over and undid the latch on his small hotel room and opened the door to find Zack. He rolled his eyes, "What?"

"Just thought I'd stop by. Ya know, say hi?"

"We just saw each other less than an hour ago. What do you really want?"

He scratched the back of his head, "Actually… I had a favor to ask…"

Cloud rolled his eyes once more, "What?"

"Well… Do you know any girls who feel like taking a road trip?"

"What?"

"I'm goin' home for the week and I, um, told my mom I was bringing a girl with me… The only problem is… I don't have a girl…"

"Why did you tell your mother that?"

"I was hoping work would get in the way… Never failed me in the past. Besides! It just kind of… slipped out."

"Sorry, Zack. Not my problem." He moved to close the door and Zack pushed back on it.

"Hey! Come on, man! We were best friends growing up…!"

"Not really. You just gave yourself that illusion."

"Aw, man! Come on! There's gotta be someone…!"

A mischievous glint shone in the blond's eye, "You that desperate?"

"Yeah."

"You can't tell your mom you broke up?"

"No… It'd kill her if I told her I had another failed relationship…" he hung his head and let his shoulders sag.

"Well… I think I know just the girl…"

"Seriously!?"

"Yeah… I met her during my last assignment… She hit it off with my sister and they stayed in touch." He walked back into his room and grabbed a piece of paper and pen. He flipped his phone open and went to his 'contacts' menu, found the number in question and jotted it down. He walked back over to Zack and handed him the piece of paper, "Here's her number. Just tell her I gave it to you. She's pretty desperate for a date herself, so I'd make a bet she'd accept."

"Great! Thanks, man! I knew you'd come through!"

"Yeah, whatever. Just go." Cloud shut the door on the closest thing to a childhood friend he'd ever had, thinking, _'If you only knew, Zack Fair, you wouldn't be thanking me…'_ he walked back into his room and sat on the bed, flipping the folder open. He glanced down at its contents, shifting through the numerous pages. _'The worst part of it is… I don't even get to pick my own team. Oh, god. I am so screwed if I get a bunch of needy little wusses…'_

***

Cloud stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around his waist and rubbed a hole in the foggy mirror. He groaned and scratched the back of his head, _'This is gonna be one hell of a week…'_ He walked out into the main room and grabbed a pair of boxers from his bag and hiked them up before grabbing a pair of jeans and pulling those up over them. He moved his towel to his hair and attempted to dry the soggy spikes back to their crisp towers. He gave up, threw the towel over his shoulder, and sat on the bed, tugging on socks and then a pair of boots. His cell phone hummed with a low vibration as it started ringing from its place on the nightstand. _'Who the hell is calling at this hour…? It's not even seven in Midgar…'_ He picked up the phone and answered with a swift, "Hello?"

A smooth, masculine voice replied, "Remember me, Cloud?"

"Yeah. What d'you want?"

"Hm… As aloof as ever, eh, Cloud?"

"I'm not in the mood for games, Sephiroth."

"Hm. I see. Well, regardless, I have a message for you from Director Deusericus."

"And…?"

"You're orders include attending a training session under my command before you are allowed to officially step through the gate."

"Is that all?"

"Yes. If there are any questions, contact me."

"When?"

"Hm?"

"When is this going to happen?"

"After you return to Midgar. I understand you've been given shore leave for the next week."

"Understood."

"Farewell."

"Yeah, bye." He snapped the phone shut and shrugged, _'It's been awhile since I heard from him… Ah, well. No time to think about that. If I want to make it in time for my flight I'm going to have to run…'_ He grabbed a long-sleeved t-shirt and pulled it over his head. He grabbed his bag and threw his orders inside, slinging it over his shoulder. He left his room and made his way to the elevators, riding it down to the main floor. After handing his key to the clerk and paying his tab, he went outside and stuffed his sack into the saddlebags on Fenrir and climbed on. He pulled his leather gloves out of his pockets and tugged them on, sliding a pair of goggles on after that. He revved the engine and tore off to the northwest.

***

He pulled the bike to a stop at the edge of the curb and got off, gripping the handlebars and walking it down the rest of the way. He stopped at a particular driveway and moved up, lugging the oversized bike with him. He left it halfway up, knocking the kickstand down before moving up to the door of the small, three-bedroom home. He raised a fist and knocked, a smile tugging at his lips all the while. He waited for a few minutes, and then knocked again. Finally the door flew open to reveal a disheveled brunette in a fuzzy bathrobe. The second her eyes fell on her visitor, her eyes lit up with a bright light. She jumped forward, throwing her arms around him in a vicious hug, "Cloud! You're home!"

He groaned against her fluffy sleeves, "Sorry I took so long…"

"Don't be! I'm just so glad you're here!" She pulled back, "But… It's only nine o'clock… Were you flying all night!?"

"Not really… Because of the time change, it was technically a two-hour trip… I left Midgar around seven…"

"Cloud!" Her arms were around him again, "It's been so long!"

He wrapped one arm around her waist and picked her up under one arm, carrying the squealing woman into the house, "It's only been five days…"

"Five days is long enough! Now put me down, you jerk!" Despite her complaints, she still wore a grin.

"I know." He moved over to the couch and dropped her on it, before sitting down on the edge of the couch, his back pressing her against the soft fabric of the sofa.

She smiled openly, "I hate you, Cloud."

He pressed himself up against her, squishing her into the couch, "Good."

She struggled to sit up, "Jerk."

He grinned, "Where would I be without my adorable old bag of a sister?"

"Hey! It's only one year!"

"You're still older."

"I'm not an old bag, though!"

"That's what you think."

She clapped her hands to her face, "I'm twenty-two! I can't look that old, can I?"

"Aerith, you're starting to scare me…"

"Cloud, be serious. Do I look that old?"

"No. I just say that to lower your self-esteem so you don't try to make yourself the most attractive girl in town and get all the dumbass losers on your tail."

She blinked, "You mean… You're trying to protect me by calling me old?"

He rolled his eyes, "Something like that." He stood, "What's to eat? I had a six hour flight with no food and I'm hungry."

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A/N: Well, there's the modified version of chapter one… I originally had Aerith as Cloud's fiancée, but too many CloTi fans assaulted my house, trying to keep Aerith away from him… Please leave a review and let me know what you think!

-Valk


	2. Chapter 2: Into the Gate

**WARNING!!!** I altered the first chapter due to various complaints and my own dislike of the Cloud/Aerith situation. If you don't want to re-read it, I just switched it to make Aerith Cloud's sister instead of his fiancée. An awkward transition, I know, but it's for the good of us all ^_^

A quick thank you to: **The Lone Wanderer, mom calling, vx-Luna-xv, Valentine'sNinja, uber-tastic** for reviewing! You inspire me so!

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy 7, any of its spin-offs, any other Final Fantasy, or Stargate SG-1. I am not receiving any money for this nor do I ever expect to.

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**Chapter 2**

**Into the Gate**

Cloud's cherished week with his family had come and gone, and he now sat once more in the briefing room with the other leaders of the FF teams. He'd been utterly depressed when he'd discovered who the other three members of his team were. He managed to get over it for the most part, seeing as to how he didn't have much of a choice. Lazard straightened his papers on the table, "Now then, I'd like all of you to report to Training Room 1 for your preliminary testing. Dismissed!"

Cloud stood up and walked out the door with the other eight commanders, having discovered the leader of FF-9 to be a blond kid who reminded him of the FF-3 commander, as they all moved towards the training grounds. They walked into the designated room and snapped a salute to the silver-haired man waiting within. He pushed himself off the table he'd been leaning against and glanced at the clipboard in his hand. He spoke, "Firion Fynn. Luneth Ur. Cecil Harvey. Bartz Klauser. Terra Branford. Cloud Strife. Squall Leonhart. Zidane Tribal. Tidus Zanarkand. Step forward."

They did as they were asked and Sephiroth nodded to the Second Class SOLDIER's waiting on the side, who brought VR training headgear over. They handed one set to each of the nine leaders. Cloud examined his for a moment, _'This is a new model… Much nicer than the crappy ones I trained with…'_

Sephiroth spoke, "Your training sessions have been programmed into the headgear. When I give the order, you will all begin your mock mission, created through the limited information we have gathered through our sole trip through the gate. Your orders are to proceed as you see fit. This will be a test of your leadership, combat, judgment, behavioral, and physical abilities. Begin."

Cloud lowered the helmet over his brow and stepped over the chair that would lock his physical senses into the program. He closed his eyes for a moment and felt the relief of his consciousness leave his body.

***

Cloud opened his eyes to find himself surrounded by sands on all sides. He glanced over his shoulder to find computer-generated personas of his team standing behind him. He rolled his eyes and drew his sword off his back, taking a step towards the pyramid-shaped building in the distance. He spoke to his team, "Let's investigate the unknown structure out there."

The female nodded, "Yessir!"

The scruffy-looking blond guy shrugged, "Sure thing, Chief."

The dark-haired man grinned, "¡Vámonos!"

They trudged through the dunes for an unknown period of time, the realistic heat forcing Cloud to forget the scenario was fake. As they neared the pyramid, a small settlement came into view at its base. The blond leader shouted of the noise of the wind, thankful the program had supplied goggles, "We'll try to make contact with the locals. See if we can forge some kind of friendship."

They walked down the final dune into the miniscule town to find a small gathering of people. At the sight of strangers, the citizens all ran for cover, hiding in makeshift homes of cloth and animal skins supported by rods and staves. Cloud walked into the town and glanced over his shoulder at his team, shrugging. He set his sword on the ground and held his hands up in surrender. The dark-haired girl hissed towards her leader, "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

He hissed back, "The hell should I know? They seem innocent enough."

"Okay…" She set her quad-pointed weapon down beside her commander's and raised her hands. The other two followed suit, standing near the other two.

Cloud called out, hoping they understood Gaian, "We don't mean any harm! We're peaceful explorers… We just came to learn more about your customs, and possibly open a trade between our two peoples."

A lone man came out of one of the huts, "Do you speak the truth?"

'_Well, that's a stupid question…'_ He nodded, kicking his sword out of reach, "Yeah."

"Where did you come from? Is there another settlement across the sands?"

"We came through the Stargate." At his confused expression, he continued, "You know, giant ring… Bunch of gibberish etched into it?"

The man gasped, "You speak of the Chappa'ai? If you have come through, you must be servants of the Goa'uld!"

(A/N: Chappa'ai is a name they use on the show as another name for the Stargate. It is pronounced Chah-Pah-eye.)

Cloud raised an eyebrow, "What the hell is Goh-uh-oold?"

"You do not know of the Goa'uld?" After the blond shook his head, the other man explained, "The Goa'uld are the serpentine beasts who inhabit human bodies… They fancy themselves gods, thinking they can take what they please."

"Why do you let them?"

"Their weapons are far beyond us. We have no hope to stand against them."

"I see. We have yet to encounter these… What did you call them? Goa'uld?"

"Yes."

"How do you survive against them so far?"

"We do as they wish. We bow to their demands and they do not harm us."

Cloud released a sigh, "After all, what's god without worshippers?"

"Exactly. They let us live so they may see us grovel. It is… a hard life, but at least we have life."

"That sucks."

"You… truly do not carry Goa'uld?"

"Honest to God. Er… Really."

"Very well. You say you came to discuss trade?"

He nodded, "Yeah. Can I talk to the leader of your people?"

***

Cloud's eyes opened slowly to the light of the training room as the program ended. He removed his helmet to find three of the others already done, another two sitting up as well, and the last three still submerged in the test. Cloud walked over to where Squall, Terra and Cecil waited beside Sephiroth, their expressions showing nothing special. Firion and Bartz joining them moments later. Once Luneth, Zidane, and Tidus were done, the silver-haired First looked up, "Report to the briefing room to receive your results. Dismissed."

The nine Firsts made their way back to the briefing room and took up their now-routine positions, Bartz in the seat that was formally occupied by Zack and Zidane hanging out near Luneth. Director Lazard walked in, took a seat and spoke, "I see all of you have passed the preliminary tests with First Class Sephiroth." He looked up as the door opened and the silver-haired man entered. "Speak of the devil. All of you, I'd like you to meet the commander of FF-1."

'_Saw that one coming.'_ Cloud opened a new folder, consisting of his first away-from-home mission. He flipped through the pages detailing everything he was going to be doing on another planet. From the description in the folder, he was supposed to lead a team to examine the world where his testing had been, which was apparently called Corel.

Lazard cleared his throat, earning the attention of everyone in the room, "FF's 3, 6, 7, and 9 will be deployed for reconnaissance. All four teams will investigate the planet you viewed in your training seminar. FF-1 has gone there once before retrieved the information used to test you. I want all of you to go and see if you can find out more about these Goa'uld. All four teams of four will go. Cloud Strife, you will be in command."

Cloud raised a hand slowly, "If I may, Sir?"

"Yes, Strife?"

"Why place me in command?"

"You have the most experience and you passed the VR test with the best scores."

"Understood."

***

Cloud stood in front of the Stargate in full gear, waiting for the rest of his and the other teams to arrive. Luneth and FF-3 were already there, two other guys and a girl, all but one of the guys chatting away. Terra stood near two blond men, one with a ponytail, the other wearing a bandana to match his Second-Class uniform. Zidane stood near a girl with black hair, a tall man, and a woman with curly brown hair. Cloud stood with his arms crossed, Zack mocking his position right behind him, waiting for his team to gather. A blond man in his thirties walked in wearing the Second-Class uniform, a lance strapped over his shoulder, and saluted Cloud before waiting in silence. A moment later, a young girl walked in with an older man with well-past shoulder length silver hair. Cloud cleared his throat, "Looks like everyone's here… Let's get this show on the road." He looked up at the window, where the technicians for the Stargate sat. He gave the thumbs up and turned to face the gate.

The gigantic ring set into the stone circle began to spin. It stopped after a moment, one of the seven triangle-shaped decorations lighting up with an orange glow. A voice sounded over the intercom, "Chevron one encoded." Cloud's eyebrows rose, this being his first time seeing the gate in action. The ring spun once more, stopped and another triangle lit up, the technician's voice sounding, "Chevron two encoded." The cycle repeated until the seventh one lit and the young man's voice called, "Chevron seven locked."

Within the center of the Stargate, a blue foam-looking substance formed and protruded outward, towards where the waiting FF teams stood. It retreated back into the gate, creating a blue, water-like pool inside the ring. Its ripples reflected the room's fluorescent lights back on the teams, casting cerulean shadows on them. The same voice as earlier called out, "Stable wormhole established."

Lazard's voice came over the intercom next, "FF's 3, 6, 7, and 9; you're clear to go. Good luck and Godspeed."

Cloud turned to salute the window, "Thank you, Sir." He turned back to the rest of the teams, "You heard him; let's go." He walked forward, taking the lead, and stepped up to the gate. He slowly raised a hand to touch the translucent surface. It rippled like water at the touch of his fingertips. He turned back and shrugged, taking a deep breath before stepping through.

A flash of blue light appeared in his vision and seconds later he exited on the other side with enough force to make him stumble. He caught his bearings and glanced around at the wasteland, the same desert he'd seen in his training session, complete with the pyramid structure in the distance. He lurched forward when a small body slammed into his back, knocking him to the ground. He glared over his shoulder at the girl, who smiled apologetically before standing, jumping out of the way of the gate and offering a hand to help him up. She grinned widely, "Sorry, Sir! Didn't know you were there…"

He jumped to his feet, ignoring her gesture, and glared again, "Yuffie…"

"I'm sorry! Really!"

He moved away from the gate as more people started coming through. He pulled a black, SOLDIER-issue bandana out of his pocket and tied it over his nose and mouth to protect against the blowing sands. He slid his goggles on as the last of the teams appeared. He turned to look at the gate, wondering how to shut it down. His questions were answered when the azure passage dissipated into this air, almost as quickly as it had formed. He shrugged and turned to the fifteen people waiting on him, "Alright, let's go check out the settlement, see what we can find out."

Everyone replied with various amounts of enthusiasm, "Yes, Sir!"

They headed through the seemingly endless desert in the direction of the small village. They climbed down the dune to find the people there scatter again. He called out, hoping it would work, "We come from the same planet as the people who came last month! The leader of the small group had long, silver hair."

A man came out of one of the huts, the same man Cloud had spoken to in the program, and spoke, "You come from Gaia?"

Cloud nodded, leaving his sword on his back, "My name is Cloud; I'm in charge of this group."

The man nodded and bowed, "I am Dyne. I am the leader of this settlement."

Cloud returned the bow, albeit a little awkwardly, "Nice to make your acquaintance. " He went through the group, making introductions.

Dyne greeted each member individually, "Have you come to examine the pyramid? Sephiroth said someone would return to do so…"

"Do you mind if we do?"

"Not at all."

"Alright, then." He looked back at the rest of the people waiting behind him, "FF-3, secure the area, FF-6, meet with the locals. Terra, I'll have you discuss trade with their chieftain. FF-7 and 9, come with me to explore the pyramid." He turned back to Dyne, "Is that alright?"

"Of course."

Cloud's attention shifted as a small amount of weight slammed into his left leg. He instinctively reached for his sword before looking down. He released his blade when faced with a small child; a little girl. She looked up at him with big brown eyes, "Hi!"

Dyne reached over, pulling her off Cloud's leg, "I'm sorry… This is my daughter, Marlene."

Cloud bent to her level, thankful for his eight years of experience with children, and held out his hand, "I'm Cloud."

She grinned, confusion swirling in her gaze at his gesture, "Nice to meet you."

He caught her expression and reached out, taking her small hand in his larger one, and shook it, explaining, "This is a common greeting we use on my home planet. It's a way of showing mutual respect for one another."

Her smile widened and she shook his hand much more vigorously, "Will you play with me, Cloud?"

Her father took her shoulders, guiding her away, "Marlene, Cloud is a busy man… Don't take up his time with your games."

Cloud stood again and shot the child a small smile, "Maybe later, okay?"

Her face lit up like Christmas, "Okay!"

Zack came up behind him with a grin, "I didn't know you were so good with kids… Is there something I don't know about?"

He barely looked back over his shoulder, "Shut up, Zack." He turned to everyone else and raised his voice to be heard, "Alright! Move out!"

"Yes, Sir!"

Luneth led his team up the dunes to explore the immediate surroundings, Terra walked over and bent down to Marlene, talking to her sweetly, while the rest of her team dispersed to talk to the locals. Zidane and his team waited near Cloud and the rest of FF-7 while the blond turned to Dyne once more, "Is it at all possible you could spare us a guide?"

"Of course." He gestured over to a young boy, "This is Kidren. He knows the way to the pyramid and back better than any adult. He'll guide you well."

Cloud nodded, "Thank you."

Kidren looked up at him, "Is that sword real?"

'_You want to find out…?'_ He looked down at the kid and nodded, "Yeah."

"Can I hold it?"

'_Why is this kid getting on my nerves so much! The little girl was fine…' _Cloud struggled to contain his anger, "Maybe later. Can you show us to the pyramid?"

"This way!" He darted off, FF's 7 and 9 struggling to keep up.

After a ten-minute walk, Kidren found the doorway to the pyramid and led them inside. It was just one room in a rectangle shape, five elaborate pillars on either side, forming symmetrical rows down the sides. A small set of stairs moved up to half-level where the fifth pillars stood. On either side of the raised section stood two doors, one of which was blocked off by debris. Cloud looked around, hieroglyphics covering the walls and pillars. He ran a hand along it and turned to Kidren, "Can you read this?"

He bounced on his toes, forcing Cloud to wonder how much sugar his parents were feeding him, "Nope! My ancestors could, but the modern people of Corel can't!"

"Huh…"

The dark-haired girl from FF-9 looked up, "Sir?"

He glanced over his shoulder at her, "Yeah?"

"Don't these patterns look… familiar?"

He looked closer, "I guess… A little…"

She looked over, "Do you know where from?"

"Mm… I got nothing."

"They're sorted into columns of seven; the bottom symbol is always the same…"

"And… What are you getting at, Garnet?"

"I'll make a bet they're Stargate addresses."

"Huh… Alright… FF-9, get started on recording these things. FF-7, come with me to finish exploring. Kidren, you stay here."

The young boy looked up, "But-!"

"No 'buts.' Do as you're told or," he bent down to look him in the eye, "I'll tell Dyne you misbehaved."

"Hmph!" he sat down on the steps, seconds away from a tantrum.

He pulled a radio off his belt and held it to his mouth, "Luneth, do you copy?"

"_Loud and clear!"_

"See if you can get a guide out to the pyramid. FF-9's working on recording what we think are more gate addresses. I want you to come and take what they have back home. If FF-6 is done, they have clearance to leave with you."

"_Gotcha! I'm on it!"_

'_Too much energy…'_ Cloud sighed, "Over and out." He tucked the radio back into its place on his belt and looked at the unobstructed door, shrugging. "Let's go," he waved a hand over his shoulder to the rest of his crew, signaling them to follow. Zack, Yuffie and the blond guy came up the steps at different paces, eventually falling in behind Cloud. He gripped the handle of his sword, just in case. He headed into the dark room, only to find an empty room, save the circle-shaped pattern in the middle. The ring of hieroglyphics with a black iris was almost seven feet in diameter. He walked to the center of it and bent down to examine it, running his fingers along the outside edge. The others followed soon after, seeing as to how there wasn't anything else in the room. Cloud's ears picked up a low noise and he turned to the rest of his team, "You hear that?"

The humming got louder and the ring hieroglyphics opened. Five thick bands of metal sprang up, surrounding them in a bright white light. The light faded and Cloud looked around, instinctively grabbing his sword. They were no longer in the pyramid; instead the room they now stood in was all gold except for the black floor. Raised hieroglyphics covered the walls, setting an eerie gleam. Straight in front of them sat a black-haired man decorated in gold jewelry and richly dyed fabrics. Behind him stood an equally bejeweled woman with a bright, rich blue dress beneath her golden ornaments. Multiple men dressed in heavy-looking silver armor stepped forth, holding strange, staff-like weapons towards FF-7.

The woman spoke, her voice sounding freakishly deep as if she was speaking with a voice modulator, "Jaffa! Kree!" The armored men all raised their staves, the ends splitting open in a cross-shape.

'_This… can't be good.'_

* * *

There's chapter two! Leavin' ya with a cliffie this early on. How's that for wicked? Sorry, folks, but I was running low on room and this seemed like a good stopping point.

Leave a review if you think I'm evil!

-Valk


	3. Chapter 3: Enter the Goa'uld

I feel kind of bad about the cliffhanger… especially since it was only chapter two… I know everyone is just gonna hate me after this one. Which is why I'm hiding out in my underground bomb shelter, away from everyone who knew where I lived from the Cloud-Aerith incident. Also, this one's a little shorter than the others…

A shout-out to **mom calling, vx-Luna-xv, Master of Catdoken,** and** Valentine'sNinja** for reviewing!

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy 7, any of its spin-offs, any other Final Fantasy, or Stargate SG-1. I am not receiving any money for this nor do I ever expect to.

* * *

**Chapter 3**

**Enter the Goa'uld**

'_This… can't be good.'_ Cloud glanced around, not really caring to find out what their staves could do, "I think we just met the Goa'uld."

He grabbed his sword and lunged forward, taking out the guard directly in front of him. He turned quickly to take out another, only to find Yuffie already there. Zack fought another two with his heirloom sword. He let out a grunt and shoved one back just in time to dodge a blast from the end of the other one's staff, "Holy…! Watch where you're pointing that thing, buddy!" He shouted over his shoulder, "Their sticks can shoot! Watch your back!"

A sound almost like a racecar flying past sounded and Yuffie's voice called, "No, duh! I found out on my own, thank you very much!"

Zack impaled another one clean through his armor, "That's the last of 'em. Now, howzabout Mr. and Mrs. Gold 'n' Glorious?"

Cloud took a step closer, sword at the ready, "Who are you?"

Neither one spoke as the man slowly raised his left hand. Cloud caught a glimpse of gold and red on his palm before feeling a powerful force impact with his body and throw him across the room.

He pulled himself to his feet, "Now I'm pissed."

"Hey," the blond guy looked up after pulling his lance out of one of the guards, "Personally, I think we should make a strategic withdrawal."

Yuffie glanced at him, appalled, "You mean… run away!? The great Yuffie Kisaragi does not run away!"

"That's why I said 'strategic withdrawal.'"

She stuck her tongue out at him as Cloud took a half step closer to the two, "I have no intention of running."

The dark-haired man dressed in gold stood slowly, then turned and walked out the door without so much as a word. The woman followed immediately. Multiple guards in the same silver armor came running in and Zack shouted, "I could do with a strategic withdrawal right about now, eh, Cid?"

Cloud glared at the reinforcements, "Fine." He walked backwards, finding his way to the door and backing out with Cid after Yuffie and Zack went through to clear the way. They ran down random halls, ducking into the elaborate aisles on the sides when they heard the heavy footsteps of the guards.

They wandered through the seemingly endless halls, trying to find a way out of the building. "Time for a new direction," Cloud found an open door and ran inside. He stopped a few feet in and stared at the sight before him. They stood in a gigantic room with various crates stacked around; giving them the hint it was a cargo room. A Stargate stood tall against the wall to their left, but it was the large windows straight in front that caught Cloud's attention. He took a few steps forward to touch the glass, surprised when he received a small shock. It wasn't very strong, just enough to clue him in that it wasn't glass. More like some sort of sci-fi forcefield. His attention turned back to the scenery outside, the endless black oceans lit by millions of white specks. Space. They were in outer space.

Yuffie ran forward, almost colliding with the shield, "What the…!? How'd we get to space?"

Cid leaned on his lance, "Musta been that light… teleported us or some shit."

"Whaaat!? You mean… We can't get back down!?"

Cloud rolled his eyes and pointed to the gate, "Our ticket is right there."

Zack set his sword on his back for the time being, "The Goa'uld are evil, right?"

Yuffie and Cid replied together, "Yeeeah…"

"So, shouldn't we try to kill them? At least for the people of Corel?" He pointed out the window to the large, tan planet below.

"Huh…" Cloud rubbed the hilt of his sword with his thumb, "Didn't even see that there. Well, I guess we're still close… Cid."

"Yeah?"

"If we can find the power source to this puppy, think you'll be able to blow it from here to next week?"

He laughed, "'Course I can!" He rubbed his gloved palms together, "This'll be fun. I like the way ya think!"

"Good. Let's see if we can find one, then."

He turned and walked out the door, the others following behind him. He didn't miss Zack whisper to Yuffie, "Is it just me, or do you think he's getting his ideas from Star Trek, too?"

***

After some incredible hacking skills on Cid's part, and then some translations on Yuffie's, they found their way to the engine room. Zack walked at the back of the group, hands resting behind his head, "So, Yuffie? When'd you learn Goa'uld-ian?"

She snorted, "It's not really different from ancient Egyptian, you know."

"You know Egyptian?"

"I didn't get here on my cute looks, you know."

"Huh… And here I thought you did."

"Oy! Cloud! Are you and Smokey here about done?"

The spiky-headed one turned to glare over his shoulder, "We'll be done when we're done."

"So… You have no idea how long this is gonna take?"

Cid pulled himself out from under the console where he was working, "Hey! This is alien technology! A'course it's gonna take me a little bit to figure it out. If ya want it to go faster, you could help me translate some o' this shit!"

"Geez, don't get all frumpy. It'll give you wrinkles." She sauntered over, sitting down next to him to look at what he was doing.

Zack made his way over to Cloud, "So…"

The blond rolled his eyes, "What?"

"I had a… interesting week last week."

"I'd imagine so."

He scratched the back of his head, "Boy, you weren't kidding when you asked if I was desperate."

"You asked for it. You can't blame me at all."

"I know. But Yuffie? C'mon, man, I thought you were nicer than that…"

"Now you know better."

"I guess now's a bad time to ask if I can ask your sister out, huh?"

"She's married."

"The other one."

"Aerith?"

"Yeah."

"Yes, it is. And no, you can't."

"C'mon, Cloud! Why not?"

"Because. You're an irresponsible jackass and I honest-to-god hate you."

"Aw, man! Do you have to be so… blunt about it?"

"Yes."

"Damn! I knew you were protective of your family, but this?"

"Just shut up and do your job."

"Geez…" he wandered back over near the door to stand guard, arms crossed over his chest in annoyance. Cloud ignored him and turned back to watch the other exit.

***

Cid's head came out from under the console, "Alright! We're all set!"

Cloud stood up from his spot against the wall, "Good. Let's head back to the Stargate."

Zack shrugged, "Copy that."

They walked back out of the room and turned back in the direction of the cargo hold. They continued on until Yuffie's curiosity got the better of her and she ran inside the first room she could find to discover a huge, golden case in the middle. She ran forward, fingers wiggling in anticipation, and touched it, only to have it slide open in two panels. The woman in the blue dress with the golden decorations lay within, a bright white glow surrounding her features. Moments after the lid to the container slid apart, the woman's hands rested on the edge and she pulled herself to a sitting position, eyes narrowing at FF-7 when her gaze fell upon them.

She raised her left hand in the same way the man had done. This time, Cloud caught sight of an elaborate golden glove-like thing on her hand with a red gem embedded on her palm. The blond, knowing what had happened last time, shouted, "Down!" before dropping to the floor. The others followed suit just as a blast of distorted air rushed past above them. Loud clanking could be heard as more of the silver-clad soldiers came running inside, staves at the ready. Cloud pushed himself off the floor and lunged towards one of them, sword at the ready.

He caught sight of the small, blue object resting on one of the guards' waist. With the desire to learn about the Goa'uld, he impaled the sentry on his blade and grabbed the device. It snapped up into an 'S' shape and he examined it for a moment, finding a trigger on the base. He heard the distinct sound of the woman's hand-weapon charging and he turned on his heel, aiming the new weapon at her and firing. A blue bolt shot out, connected with her body and she slumped down inside the case, unconscious. The guards let out a gasp and ran forward, engaging in an all-out attack.

Cloud moved over, checked the woman's pulse and, finding her still alive, pulled her up over his shoulder. Zack fought off some guards and saw Cloud's actions out of the corner of his eye. Refusing to pass up this chance, he called out, "Hey, Cloud! I knew you were desperate for a date, but kidnapping strange women?"

Cloud glared, "Stuff it, Zack." He looked up at the others, "Let's get out of here."

Yuffie called out, "Sounds good to me!"

"Right!" Cid shouted.

They forced their way out of the room and fought back to the cargo hold with the Stargate. Cloud's movement was restricted because of the woman over his shoulder, but he made do using the new weapon he'd pilfered. They reached the hold and Yuffie ran to figure out how to start the gate. She found a device that had all the symbols on the Stargate on it, forming three rings of buttons. She pressed the one that matched the first symbol in the Gaia address and squealed when it lit up. She pressed the rest of the sequence into the device and bit her lip when nothing happened. She shrugged and pressed her palm to the red center and her gaze snapped up as the gate opened immediately. She turned to call to the others, "All set! Let's blow this joint!"

The other three focused on the combat, Cloud frying different soldiers with his new favorite toy, Cid taking them out in close range, and Zack fought them off near the door. The dark-haired man ducked a blow from one of his opponents' staves, and sliced him across the chest. As the sentry slumped to the ground, Zack raised his gaze to find the gold-wearing man standing right behind the dead guard. The SOLDIER grinned, "Well, lookie here. Howzabout we gets us two prisoners?"

The man said nothing, simply raising his left hand to Zack's face. Instead of the blast he was expecting, a bright golden light formed, mesmerizing him. He watched the golden light, unable to turn away, even as pain erupted behind his skull. He sank to his knees and let out an earsplitting scream as the throbbing intensified. The light disappeared and his focus slowly came back. He blinked, and then looked down to see the blade of Cid's spear jutting out of the Goa'uld's chest. The tip of the blade scraped against his own chest, barely catching his black shirt.

Cid backed away from the man, pulling his lance out of his back. He turned to fight more of the silver-clad guards and missed what happened next.

Zack struggled to climb to his feet, watching the man in front of him. Without warning, a high-pitched screech filled the air as a snake-like creature burst out of the back of the fallen man's neck.

Cloud continued to fire the new weapon, hoping it didn't have some sort of ammo limit. He glanced up at the sound of someone -or something- shrieking. He followed the sound to find Zack half-kneeling, half-sitting on the floor, staring at the body of the male gold-dressed alien; a snake resting on the dead man's neck. In seconds, before Cloud could even shout a warning, the fiend shot off of the dead body and bit Zack's neck. He reached up in an attempt to throw it off, which only resulted in the creature burrowing itself inside his neck.

Yuffie's voice cried out from somewhere near the gate, "Zack!"

The dark-haired SOLDIER fell to his hands and knees as he fought an internal battle. He shouted, voice echoing the pain he felt, "Hey…! Cloud…! Tell Aerith… I said 'Hi'!" The blond moved to help him but was waved back, "Don't…! Get out of here…! All of you! Take the woman and go…!"

Cloud hesitated, not wanting to abandon a teammate, before turning on his heel and ran through the gate, Cid and Yuffie on his heels.

* * *

Okay, okay! This story really isn't going in the right direction, huh? First Cloud and Aerith were engaged, now Zack gets separated from the group. Oy, I'm sorry, folks! Zack seemed to want to be kidnapped… I was just writing out the battle scene and then that happened! So, please, don't blame me!

Drop a review if you do!

-Valk

P.S. Any wagers on what's gonna happen?


	4. Chapter 4: Search and Rescue

I bet everyone was beginning to wonder if I'd died… or least if I'd forgotten about this fic. No worries! You won't be rid of me that easily! I apologize if some of you felt ready to kill me after the last chapter… I assure you, the cliffhanger was unintentional. Anyway, today is August eleventh… the day of a certain spiky blond swordsman's birth… So, Happy Birthday, Cloud!

Happy-claps to **mom calling, uber-tastic, Valentine'sNinja, vx-Luna-xv, **and for their wonderful reviews!

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy 7, any of its spin-offs, any other Final Fantasy, or Stargate SG-1. I am not receiving any money for this nor do I ever expect to.

* * *

**Chapter 4**

**Search and Rescue**

Cloud ran down the ramp to the Gaia gate and stopped abruptly at the base. He turned and watched as Yuffie and Cid came running through before it closed. He felt the pain of loss instantly as Lazard's voice echoed over the intercom, "First Class Strife! What in the hell happened?"

Cloud took a moment to survey the gate room, noting the various scorch marks now decorating the walls and the two holes in the glass between them and the operation room. He tucked the enemy weapon in his belt and scratched the back of his head, "Uh… Sorry, Sir. We found ourselves in a bit of a tight spot…"

Lazard walked into the gate room, "And where is First Class Fair?"

Cloud shifted his stance, unsure of how to answer. He seemed to just remember the woman over his shoulder and said, "We did manage to capture a Goa'uld. "

"Is she alive?"

"She's still got a pulse, if that means anything."

He tapped the intercom piece in his ear, "Get a medical and security team to the gate room immediately." He turned back to the remainder of FF-7, "Once the teams arrive, I want you –all three of you- in my office room for a debriefing."

"Understood."

A group of SOLDIER's came into the room followed closely by four people dressed in white pulling a gurney and a woman with brown hair and donning white lab coat. The woman stepped forward, "I was told there was an injured personnel coming back through the gate?"

"Not quite injured…" Cloud took a couple steps forward and laid the woman down on the stretcher, "More like a captured alien that you might get a kick out of examining."

"I see."

"I advise keeping her restrained."

"I'll keep that in mind." She nodded to the other medics, who fastened the restraints around the woman's wrists and ankles.

"Oh, and be wary of snakes jumping out and trying to kill you."

The doctor's attention snapped up, "What!?"

"I'll explain later. Just see if you can keep her unconscious."

"Okay…"

The Goa'uld woman's eyes opened slowly. She spoke with her distorted voice, "Where have you taken me?"

Cloud walked over and bent down near her, "I pray to God –the real one- that you never find out." He pulled the alien device off his belt and fired it at her, knocking her out again instantly.

Lazard looked at him, "What in the world is that?"

"I have no idea. I'm pretty sure the bolt knocks the target unconscious… That's how it looks, anyway."

"Send it to the labs to have it examined." He turned to the brunette, "Doctor Crescent, you have leave to examine the alien."

Dr. Crescent nodded, "Yes, Sir."

Cloud took a step forward, "One more thing…" He walked over to the Goa'uld and took her left hand, prying the device off. He succeeded fairly easily and held it up. He tossed it and the stun-gun to one of the other SOLDIER's waiting on the side. He gave a short nod, "Now you can go."

Lazard sighed, "Care to explain, Strife?"

"With all due respect, Sir, could I have a minute to get changed?"

"No. Get upstairs. Now."

Cloud was pretty sure his skepticism showed, "Yes, Sir…"

***

Twenty minutes later, Cloud sat in his favorite chair in the briefing room, Cid to his left and Yuffie to _his_ left. Terra and Luneth sat opposite them and Lazard at the head of the table. He shuffled through various papers and photocopied images of the pyramid walls. Cloud looked up, finishing his tale, "After he called out to us, I made the decision to leave. It's my fault we lost a man and I take full responsibility."

Lazard shook his head, "That won't be necessary. As much as a lost comrade upsets me, we were dealing with unknown forces. I think we were lucky to lose only one man."

Cloud, having just noticed the leader of FF-9 was absent, asked, "What happened to Tribal? Wasn't he supposed to report back by now?"

"We're not sure exactly what happened. Two hours after FF-9's supposed check-in time, we tried to send a search team through, but the gate wouldn't connect. We were about to try again, but then your gate came in, followed by those blasts. What in Gaia were those?"

"Goa'uld weapons. Some sort of staff that can fire a blast out the end." He paused, "Ah, sorry about the damage to the facility."

"That's not your problem. However, if your team is all set to leave again, I'd like you to lead the search team."

Cloud stood from his seat and offered the SOLDIER salute, "Understood. We'll leave immediately."

***

Cloud came out of the Corel gate for the second time that day and surveyed his surroundings. His eyes widened at the sight of the smoke billowing from the direction of the settlement. He waved an arm to his teammates, the rest of FF-7 as well as FF-8, and shouted, "Follow me!" The other six people present ran through the dunes, staying close behind. The leader of FF-8 passed him for a moment, and then slowed down to stay with the group.

A few minutes later, Cloud descended the final dune into the small village. He stopped and took a few steps forward, looking around at the damaged area. Yuffie skidded to a stop near him, panting, "What in the world happened!?"

Cid took a drag on a cigarette, "Musta been those damn Goa'uld."

Cloud glanced over his shoulder, "Cid… You _did_ blow their ship, didn't you?"

"Of course I did! …Maybe."

"Did you, or did you not hit the detonator?"

"Uh… No. I didn't want to blow a teammate to tiny scraps! 'Sides, I was a little preoccupied coverin' yer ass so you could bring Sleeping Beauty home!"

The First Class SOLDIER moved forward to search the demolished region. Their ramshackle tents were burnt, collapsed, and otherwise missing. Cloud glanced over his shoulder, "Scan the area for survivors. Find any, help them and report to me."

"Understood!" The others scattered about to search on their own.

Cloud moved towards the chief's house, stepping lightly through the debris. He found his way to the burning scraps and froze, listening to make sure he'd heard properly. There. A crying child. He lifted some of tarps, ignoring the blaze licking at his flesh. Hidden beneath, Marlene lay, curled up into a little ball and crying her eyes out. Cloud bent down and touched her shoulder to let her know he was there.

She looked up, "Cloud…? Did you come back to play…?"

He managed a weak smile, "Yeah… Are you okay?"

"My arm hurts really bad… an' my legs feel funny. They used to hurt, but they don't anymore."

'_Shit…'_ He reached down, "Come on… I'll carry you."

She raised her right arm to wrap around his shoulder as he lifted her. Her eyebrows knit together when his arm touched her burned legs. She let out a sniffle, "Cloud… It hurts…"

"Don't worry. I'll take you back to my planet… We'll get you fixed up."

"Cloud…?"

"Hm?"

"Have you seen my daddy?"

'_I'm surprised you lived with all the destruction here… I doubt your dad did, too.'_ He shook his head and opted for, "…I haven't found him yet, Marlene."

"Okay… I hope he's okay…"

"I'm sure he is."

"Where are we going?"

He carried her back towards the town, rocking her in his arms a little to get her to sleep, "Back to my planet. Dr. Crescent will take good care of you and have you back to normal in no time."

"Mm…" she hummed her approval before sleep got the better of her and she slumped down in his hold.

He made his way over to where the leader of FF-8 was coming over the dunes with the blond man on his team. The latter held a small, beat up body in his arms. Cloud nodded to them, "How's it look?"

Squall shook his head, "The pyramid is crushed. We found Garnet, but there wasn't a trace of the others. I'd guess they were inside when it went down. Zell's got Garnet, and before you ask, no, there's no pulse."

'_Damn it…'_ He released a sigh, "Squall… can you radio one of the others on your team to bring this little girl back with Zell and Garnet? I'll send Cid, too, just in case they encounter something on the way there."

"Understood." Squall pulled the radio off his belt and held it to his mouth, "Rinoa, come in."

Cloud zoned out his conversation and glanced down at Marlene, _'How can she look so peaceful right after her home was burned to bits?'_

A moment later, a girl with black hair came up next to him, wearing the customary blue Third Class uniform, "First Class Strife? I'm here to take the little girl back…"

"Right. Don't wake her unless you have to."

"Yessir!" she reached out to take Marlene from him before turning to where Zell and now Cid stood. She smiled, "Let's go!"

Cid shouldered his lance, "Yeah, yeah… Come on, follow me." He walked off, Zell and Rinoa close behind.

Cloud sighed again, "Let's keep looking."

Squall nodded without saying anything before moving off to examine more ruins. Cloud wandered around and stopped to check each body he found for a pulse. He knelt down next to yet another corpse, not even feeling the need to check for a pulse. He pressed his lips together, _'Damn it…'_ He looked down at the body of Dyne, left hand torn clean off and a wooden tent support stuck through his abdomen. Cloud reached over, closing Dyne's eyes with one hand while offering him a silent promise, _'Don't worry… I'll make sure your daughter gets a good home. Rest in peace.'_

***

Cloud ran a towel through his hair, sitting on one of the benches in the men's locker room after a shower. He sighed and stood, throwing his towel into his locker and pulled out a forest green wool vest to wear with his black SOLDIER pants. He closed his locker and pulled his cell phone out of his pocket to check for messages while heading to the ground level. _'Aerith, Mom, and… Dr. Crescent? That one's pretty recent. Just when I was in the shower…'_ He selected the message and held the phone to his ear to listen to it. Dr. Crescent's voice sounded, _"First Class Strife… I'm sorry for calling your personal phone, but you were already off company radio and, well… The little girl you found, Marlene, woke up and wanted to talk to you. If you get this message before you go home, please stop by the medical bay. Also, I have some of the tests done from the alien you brought back."_

He sighed and snapped his phone closed before turning on his heel and moved back towards the medical bay. He found his way and knocked on the door before coming in, looking around. He asked, "Dr. Crescent?"

Her head poked up from behind a flat screen computer monitor at the sound of her name. She cracked a little smile, "First Class Strife. I'll send for the Director to go over the lab results… Until he gets here, Marlene is waiting on you in there…" she pointed to an open door to her left.

He nodded, "Thanks. Let me know when Director Deusericus gets here."

"Of course."

He made his way to the door she'd point to and leaned in, knocking on the doorframe. The little girl looked up with a smile, her hair tied back into a braid and a white blanket pulled up to her waist. She fingered the cast on her left arm and smiled again, "Lucrecia's really nice. Is everyone on your planet nice?"

"Unfortunately, no." He walked over and sat on the edge of her bed, "But if I can help it, you'll never have to meet the mean ones."

"Okay. Thank you, Cloud."

"I talked to the Director about getting you out of here… How'd you like to stay with my sister and mom?"

"Are they nice?"

"Well, my mom is, no doubt there. My sister, on the other hand… Well, she's nice, but she's a little crazy."

"Huh?"

"She has too much energy for her own good. That, and she's too mischievous. She has a way for getting into trouble."

"She sounds like fun!"

"I should've known. It's pretty late, know, so I'll call her in the morning and tell her she's getting another member of the household soon."

"Cloud?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you be there?"

"As often as I can. But I have to work… To help save people like you from the Goa'uld. My other sister has a son… He's about your age now."

"What's his name?"

"Denzel. He's eight years old."

"I'm seven!"

"Yeah… you two should get along pretty well."

"Mm… Cloud?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you sleep with me?"

"I have to talk to my boss and the doctor, Lucrecia, for a minute, but when I come back I will. If Lucrecia doesn't mind. She is the doctor and what she says goes."

"Mm…"

"I'll tell you what… If nothing else, I'll sleep on that bed," he pointed to the second bed in the room, "So I'll be here if you need me in the middle of the night, okay?"

"Okay!"

Lucrecia leaned in, "First Class Strife? The Director's here…"

"Alright. I'm coming." Cloud stood and turned to the little girl, "I'll be back in a minute, okay?"

"Mm!" she nodded with a smile.

"Good." He stood and followed Lucrecia back out into the main room and on into a laboratory-looking room. He saluted Lazard when he came into sight.

The Director looked up, "At ease, Strife."

He nodded and took a seat on one of the stools, "So what'd you find, Doc?"

Lucrecia gave a little sigh, "I took some X-ray images that I'd like you to take a look at…" She walked over to the flat lamps on the wall and clicked the light on to show the results of the scans. She pointed lightly to the image of the woman's spine, "You see… She has… something… attached to her spine; I'll assume it's the 'snake' Strife referred to earlier. It appears to have wrapped itself around her spinal cord and bitten into the-"

Cloud interrupted her, "So, you're saying it's the snakes that are evil? That they're just controlling human bodies?"

"It's a fair assumption."

"So, then, Zack is… under one of those things's control?"

"It's possible."

Lazard cleared his throat, "I see. Dr. Crescent, keep researching her and let me know what you find. First Class Strife, I want you to lead the interrogation."

Cloud nodded, "Yes, Sir."

"Dismissed!"

Cloud nodded and wandered back to Marlene's room to find her still awake and smiling. The blond shook his head, "Shouldn't you be asleep by now?"

She shook her head, "Nope! I was waiting for you!"

He climbed up on the bed on her right to avoid bumping her hurt arm in the middle of the night and propped himself against the pillows, wrapping one arm around her shoulders. He yawned and tugged the little girl a bit closer and felt her snuggle up against him. Sleep came for him seconds later as he finally drifted off after one hell of a day.

* * *

Okay, not as much of a cliffie this time. I have plans for a new face to show up in the next chapter… Any guesses?

Please review!

-Valk


	5. Chapter 5: The Damned

To those who reviewed: **mom calling, vLuna, Master of Catdoken,** and** Valentine'sNinja**!

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy 7, any of its spin-offs, any other Final Fantasy, or Stargate SG-1. I am not receiving any money for this nor do I ever expect to.

* * *

**Chapter 5**

**The Damned**

Cloud woke up in his bed and found Marlene curled in his side. He glanced around his bedroom, unwilling to wake the little girl. Two weeks had passed since the destruction of Corel and, so far, his interrogation of the Goa'uld was fruitless. He'd been given the weekend off to visit his family and Marlene for a bit before his new orders took effect. The girl stirred and woke; glad to have Cloud back with her despite her growing love for Aerith. Cloud looked at her, "Morning."

"G'morning, Cloud…" she rubbed at her eyes, "I'm hungry…"

"Let's get you some breakfast, then. What do you want?"

"Those crispy things with the weird pattern were pretty good…"

"Huh?"

"Aerith made them by dropping them inside some box and hitting a switch… They came up a darker color and she put some tasty, sweet sauce on top…"

"Ohh… You mean waffles?"

"Yeah! That sounds right! So, can I have some?"

"Sure… Let's go."

He walked out to the kitchen, letting Marlene ride his shoulders since her legs still weren't at their best, and opened the freezer to get the waffles. He dropped four in the toaster, two for Marlene and two for himself, and slid the switch down. He moved Marlene to a chair and was in the middle of digging the syrup out of the incredibly messy fridge when the front door opened and a young boy with messy brown hair came bursting into the kitchen. Cloud looked at the clock as an older woman with matching brown hair walked in behind him. She smiled at the blond, "Morning, Cloud. Sorry about the early hours… Denzel's abusing the weekend, again."

"No problem, Chloe. If you wake Aerith, you're dealing with her. I have to get ready to go, anyway."

"Mm… Well, as soon as Marlene is ready, I'll take her back to my place so she and Denzel can play. Eber wanted to see her again, anyway."

Cloud raised his now-full juice glass in acknowledgement, "Give him my regards. Tell him I'm sorry I couldn't see more of him."

"He understands. Work is work."

"Yeah. And work su-" he cut off as Denzel plowed into him with enough force to knock a door from its hinges.

He looked up at him, "Hey, Uncle Cloud! You gonna play with us again today?"

The blond ruffled his nephew's hair, "Sorry, kiddo. Gotta go back to Midgar today. I'll play again some other time, okay?"

Denzel's mother smiled gently at her younger brother, "So… I guess this means I get to make Mom her breakfast?"

"You mind? I know we were all gonna do it as a surprise, but I have to go…"

"Don't worry about it." She waved her hand in a dismissal and turned to Marlene, "Have you ever cooked before?"

"I…" she caught Cloud's look over the woman's shoulder, "No… I haven't…"

"Okay. Well, today's the day you learn!"

"Okay!"

***

Cloud slapped a folder against his palm as he made his way through the halls of the Shinra building, visibly annoyed to be back there. He walked over to a particular door and nodded to the SOLDIER waiting outside. He turned and slid a keycard into the lock and the door opened immediately. The blond walked in and dropped his folder down on the table. He looked to the seat across from it where the Goa'uld woman sat with leather straps binding her arms, legs, waist, and neck to the cold steel chair. She said nothing, simply returning Cloud's icy stare. He dropped down into the chair opposite her, "So… You gonna say anything today?"

Her voice as deep as ever, she replied, "It matters not. You will kill me regardless."

"Fine. I just thought I'd see if I could get anything out of you before my next orders took place."

A voice came over the intercom, "All members of FF-7, report to the gate room immediately. I repeat, all members of FF-7, report to the gate room immediately."

Cloud shook his head, "That's my cue." He picked up the folder and walked out of the room, stopping in the locker room to deposit the folder and retrieve his sword. He speed-walked down to the gate room and came to a stop beside Yuffie and Cid just as the sixth chevron dialed. He sighed, "Just a basic exploration mission?"

Cid leaned on his spear, "Yep." The Stargate finished dialing and the stable wormhole formed.

"What do we know?" He walked up the ramp towards the gate and turned back to look at his crew.

"Just that it's a forest-based planet and there's no sign of inhabitants."

"Alright. Let's go." He stepped through and succumbed to the lightning-quick blue flash before coming out on the other side. He took a few steps forward to make room for Yuffie and Cid as they came through after him.

Cid walked up behind him, chewing on a toothpick, and asked, "So what the hell are we doing here, anyway?"

"Looking for signs of… anything. Resources we can use; civilizations our scans didn't pick up; new technologies; anything."

"Gotcha."

"Move out."

Yuffie stuck her lip out, tightening her grip on her oversized shuriken, "Which way?"

Cloud shrugged, "Pick one."

"Fine. We'll go…" she closed her eyes and spun in a circle, "that way!"

"All right." Cloud pulled his oversized First Ken off his back and stalked through the trees, wondering what this planet had in store for them.

He didn't have to wait long. He jumped back on reflex as the sound of a gunshot pierced the air. He held his sword at the ready, prying the Hollow Blade from within to dual wield. Yuffie released a screech and flipped backwards to dodge another shot. Cloud followed the treetops with his eyes, attempting to locate their assailant. Judging by the lengthy pause between shots, he assumed there was only one shooter. And he was quick. Each gunshot came from a different direction, meaning either their attacker was very fast on his feet, or there was more than one. Either outcome could be just as deadly if they weren't prepared.

Cid avoided another shot and called out, "Think it's them damn Goa'uld?"

Cloud glanced over his shoulder briefly, "I don't think so… These shots are bullets… Not energy like we encountered before."

"You are opposed to the Goa'uld?"

Cloud looked up in the direction of the raspy voice and shouted to the trees, "Who are you?"

A flash of crimson shot between two trees before landing swiftly in front of them. The form straightened, showing a tall, pale-skinned man with a tattered red cloak falling over his shoulders and a pair of shredded black pants. His chest was bare and Cloud caught Yuffie staring out of the corner of his eye before turning back to the stranger. He held a very modern-looking, three-barreled handgun in his right hand, his left baring a golden armor plate that concealed all the way up to his elbow. Attached to his right leg was an empty holster that Cloud assumed was for the gun. The man took a half-step forward, his grip on his weapon tightening, "I am called Vincent. I hail from a planet known as Nibelheim."

"I'm SOLDIER First Class Cloud Strife from the planet Gaia. These are my teammates, Second Class Cid Highwind and Third Class Yuffie Kisaragi. You say you're against the Goa'uld?"

"Yes. They took from me the only thing I cherished. That was many years ago…"

"I see. They took one of my teammates and destroyed an allied village. Perhaps an alliance between us would be beneficial?"

"Hmm… Perhaps." He paused, eyes unfocused, for a long moment.

Cloud watched him, not knowing what he was doing and shrugged, "Vincent?"

His attention snapped back to FF-7, "My apologies. My demons wished to converse."

"Your… demons?"

"Among my people, there were two people selected to be the voice of the 'Gods,' and another to house the village demons."

"A Goa'uld symbiote?"

"No. The Goa'uld were the so-called 'Gods' that my people worshiped. The woman I loved was taken to be a host, believing it was her ultimate goal… My people were deceived. I was something of a troublemaker," he smirked at the memories, "and due to my 'disrespectful' acts, I was chosen as the next host for the village demons. My people refer to any such host as 'The Damned,' and shun them from their lives. I was imprisoned, but found an avenue of escape and took it. I have been wandering various worlds ever since."

"What are these 'demons'?"

"Who can say? They are powerful entities that are perfectly capable of horrendous levels of destruction, but their only demand was a body to reside in."

"Right… Can I talk to one of them?"

A faint smirk crossed his lips, "I would advise against it. Once they taste fresh air, it is… difficult to stop them."

"I see… If you don't mind me asking, how long have you been wandering?"

"Thirty years, give or take."

"You don't look thirty."

"The demons forbid me from aging." His eyes became distant once more for a second before he looked back up, "Chaos recognizes your talent and regards you as a powerful warrior."

"You haven't even seen me fight…"

"Hm… This is quite interesting. If Chaos thinks so highly of you…"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Chaos is the most powerful demon within me. If he is impressed, then I am left with little choice but to find out why."

"Are you willing to share your knowledge of the Goa'uld with us? We only recently discovered our gate, and until then we'd never heard of the Goa'uld. We have one in our confinement, but so far we haven't been able to learn anything."

"In return for the chance to study you, I will be willing to do what I can."

'_That sounded creepy…'_ He nodded, "Agreed. Wait. Study how?"

"I'm sorry?"

"I mean, study as in observing, or study as in grabbing a knife and cutting me open to see what makes me tick?"

"I am curious to know where your strength comes from, but I fear it has little to do with anatomy. I will be better served watching you do battle."

"Good. Then we have deal."

"Understood."

"So what can you tell me about this planet?"

"There isn't anything to tell. It's just an uninhabited forest based planet. I came here to escape the Goa'uld. They continue to hunt me for fear of my demons. I thought it would be wise to keep innocent civilians out of my quarrel."

"I see. So, that's it, then?"

Suddenly, Vincent pointed his gun to the treetops and fired. Cloud jumped into a ready stance, looking around for the source of the dark man's alarm. After firing again, an oversized lizard fell down from the foliage, two holes burning at its flesh. Cloud waited a moment, watching it. Convinced that it wasn't going to move, he turned back to Vincent, who shrugged slightly. He gave a little smirk, "My apologies. I forgot to mention the fact that reptilian-type monsters have found their home here?"

Cloud placed his sword on his back, "Yeah, you did."

"Shall we?"

He cocked an eyebrow, "Huh?"

"You will take me back to your planet?"

"Uh, yeah. You'll have to go through some tests, just to make sure you're not a Goa'uld or carrying any hazardous illnesses or anything. If you're cool with that, we can go."

"Very well. You have technologies capable of locating ailments?"

"Yeah."

"You would appear to be far more advanced than other cultures I have seen. And yet, you still wield weaponry that is dated prior to your civilization."

"What can I say? I always preferred a sword to a gun."

Vincent ran a hand along his chin, "Interesting."

***

Cloud walked into the medical bay with a sigh. He looked up, "So, how's our new friend, Doc?"

Lucrecia smiled, "Vincent is as healthy as one could ask for. And no, he doesn't have any snakes inside of him, either."

"That's good to know." He held up the black fabric in his hand, "I guess I'll go greet our new member, then."

Lucrecia nodded and pointed to a door before turning back to her computer. Cloud walked into the small room with two beds parallel against the opposite wall. Vincent was sitting on the edge of one of them, his feet hanging over the side. Cloud set the material down on the bed next to him and the other man looked at it. He reached a finger out to touch it, "What is this?"

"Clothes. You can't be walking around in that all the time. The women would never get anything done around here."

"I fail to see the humor."

Cloud pulled himself on the other bed, "It wasn't a joke."

"I see…"

"Actually, I have another reason for being here."

"And that is…?"

"Do you have any experience interrogating Goa'uld?"

"Very little."

"Hm… We have a Goa'uld in captivity, and so far we haven't gotten any information."

"I see. I will help if you require it."

"Thanks. Get dressed and talk to the doctor. She'll have someone escort you to the interrogation cell."

"I understand."

Cloud nodded one more time and turned to walk out the door. He headed down towards the room where the woman he captured sat, locked down to the steel chair. He sat down in the seat across from her and flipped his folder open, "Okay… let's get started, eh?"

Her eyes narrowed, "Release me."

"Ohh… Okay. Here let me come unlock your restraints." He stood, moving closer to her and paused when he was next to her, "What? Did you think I was stupid?"

"Release me or my lord will come to destroy this planet in search for me."

"Was your 'lord' a guy with black hair and lots of gold jewelry?"

"Only the System Lords are worthy of such decoration."

"I'll take that as a yes. I ask, because we killed him. A friend of mine ran him through."

"That is impossible. Gods cannot die."

'_Wait… Does that mean Zack is her 'lord' now…?'_ He shrugged, "Well, I'm sorry, but he is."

"Do not be foolish!"

"Whoa! Don't get to upset. You'll only end up choking yourself on your restraints."

The door slid open behind him and he turned to find Vincent standing there in the black, SOLDIER First Class uniform, minus the armor, with his red cloak still on top. The raven-haired man took three quick steps into the room, eyes looking up to find Cloud watching him. His gaze trailed over to the woman strapped to the chair. He spoke, "I assume this is-" He froze.

Cloud watched him for a moment, "Vincent? What the hell?"

Vincent crossed the room in a few short strides and stopped next to the woman. He knelt down, reaching a hand up to gently caress her face. The woman didn't look too pleased about this, until he uttered a single word.

"Tifa…"

Her eyes squinted for a moment, and then recognition entered them. Her lips trembled as a single tear slipped down her cheek.

* * *

A little on the short side, and a lot on the late side. I'm sorry! I've been really busy lately! I thought that was a little rushed, but I wanted to get another one posted. I'll probably clean it up later. Ohh... and school is starting next week, so updates will much fewer and farther between. I'm sorry!

Review?

-Valk


	6. Chapter 6: A New Perspective

I know… I got a little off-canon with the Goa'uld stuff in this chapter… For those of you who don't know Stargate, um, you didn't hear a thing!

Everyone who reviewed! **Valentine'sNinja**, **mom calling**, **(blank)**, **uber-tastic**, **gingerbreadbear**, **vLuna**, and **Iskra Revoir**!

And a special thank-you to **Valentine'sNinja **for beta-ing for me! Thank you!

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy 7, any of its spin-offs, any other Final Fantasy, or Stargate SG-1. I am not receiving any money for this nor do I ever expect to.

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**A New Perspective**

Cloud watched the two in shock. "What?"

Vincent ignored him and stroked the Goa'uld's -Tifa's- cheek softly. Her tears flowed freely and she managed to choke out, voice as normal as a regular woman, "Save me, Vincent."

He whispered a response to her, something Cloud couldn't quite catch. As quickly as she had changed, Tifa snapped out of focus, her eyes flashing with a bright golden light before her head bowed as much as it could. She raised her gaze back to Vincent's, her voice as deep as ever. "Remove your hand or I will remove it for you."

The raven-haired man looked mildly disappointed and stepped back, turned to Cloud and spoke, "I wish to speak with you elsewhere." He turned and walked out the door without another word.

Cloud followed after locking the door behind him. He nodded to Vincent and led him into the next room over, another interrogation room where he knew their conversation would be caught on camera. He shut the door after walking in behind the other man. "Vincent, what the hell was-"

He turned sharply to face the blond. "Did you hurt her?"

"What?"

"I said, did you hurt her?"

The blond crossed his arms stubbornly. "We never directly caused her harm, unless the restraints hurt her. We didn't punish her for being a Goa'uld."

"Good."

"My turn for a question."

"What is it?"

"What the hell was that?"

"I'm sorry?"

"What exactly happened? She was Queen Frostine one second, and then the Lollipop Princess the next."

"I fail to understand the metaphor, but what you just witnessed was the host forcing the Goa'uld back… That was Tifa. The woman I fell in love with as a boy."

"What?"

"Tifa managed to overpower the symbiote for a short while and took control of her senses for a moment."

"So, what can we do?"

"The Goa'uld are evil, not hesitating to kill to achieve their goals. Tifa's soul has been consumed by one. In order to remove it, we must go through a complicated procedure."

"Do you know how it's done? Our doctors could probably handle anything you throw at them."

"I could try."

***

Cloud sat in the windowed-off observatory area above the surgery room. Lucrecia wore her green scrubs as she worked with Tifa's now-open back. Vincent stood nearby, also in scrubs, giving medical guidance Cloud had long since tuned out. The speaker connected to his room crackled to life as Lucrecia spoke, "Alright, that about does it…" Bloodied gloves lowered into the slit in her back and came out holding a limp Goa'uld symbiote. How they'd managed to knock it out was beyond Cloud, who had stood up to watch more closely, curiosity getting the better of him.

Another doctor dressed in scrubs came over promptly, holding an air-tight container to seal the symbiote inside. Lucrecia placed it inside and the other one closed it immediately and moved off to deposit it for study.

"Alright, let's close her up." Lucrecia reached over and the nurse handed her the necessary tools swiftly.

Cloud watched in interest, knowing deep-down that this wouldn't be the last time he'd witness one of these operations.

***

Cloud sat on a stool in the outer room of the infirmary, watching Vincent pace while Lucrecia checked up on her patient. She walked out and the blond could tell that Vincent was forcing himself not to assault her with questions. The doctor shook her head, her frown clear. "I don't know what happened. Her entire system seems to be slowing down… I'll need to run some tests to find out exactly what, but the respirator we have her hooked up to and the medications in her body look like they're helping. I'll get started immediately."

***

Lucrecia sighed. "It's nothing I've ever seen before… Her body is deteriorating. That's all I can say. Her muscles are thinning out and there's not really anything I can do. The elixirs seem to be slowing the process, but it's nothing permanent."

Cloud looked up slowly, wanting only for sleep. "What can we do?"

Vincent took a half-step forward. "I know of no cure for her condition. The Goa'uld symbiotes grant healing abilities to their hosts. That must have been what kept her alive all this time…"

"Doc? Any thoughts?"

She shook her head, "There's nothing on Gaia that can help her…"

"Perhaps…"

The blond and the brunette looked at Vincent. "What?" they asked together.

"If she were to gain another symbiote…"

Lucrecia cocked her head in confusion, "Wouldn't that put us right back where we were?"

"I know a group of people who can help. We will prepare to depart immediately."

Cloud raised his hands in a time-out, "Wait. What?"

"You do not wish to gain information on the Goa'uld?"

"That wasn't part of the deal! You were supposed to give us information in exchange for watching me fight!"

"And I can watch you fight after we save Tifa."

Cloud pressed his palm to his forehead. "We'll talk to the Director… I can't make this decision on my own."

"Very well. Let us go."

***

Cloud grumbled to himself as he pulled his sword out of his locker and set it in its place on his back. He walked out of the locker room and made his way to the gate room to find Vincent standing there waiting with Yuffie and the stretcher holding an unconscious Tifa. Lucrecia stood nearby, dressed to go off-world. He looked up at the gate dialing into an address Vincent provided. Cid stumbled into the room, clearly as pleased as Cloud was about this mission. The gate finished dialing and they made their way up the ramp, Yuffie and Lucrecia handling the stretcher.

The flash of blue subsided and Cloud scanned his surroundings for enemies. Vincent came out next, gun holstered and hands resting on the back of his head. The blond sighed and sheathed his sword, following Vincent's suit. Cid came out and Cloud nodded an order for him to do the same. The women came through afterwards and waited patiently while gripping the gurney.

Cloud surveyed the barren surroundings with a wary eye, watching the few trees and oversized boulders for activity. Finally, a small head poked out from behind one. The small creature walked towards them with a smile on its furry face. It stopped in front of Vincent and extended a hand to him before speaking, "'Ello, Vince! What brings you to these parts? And with strangers, no less!"

Vincent bent down and took its hand. "Greetings, Cait. These are allies. They hail from the planet Gaia. We are in need of your help."

"How so?"

"Not here."

"Very well. Follow me." It turned and walked off in the direction it had come.

Cloud glanced at Vincent, who took off after the small cat-like creature and followed with a shrug. He looked over his shoulder to find Cid take over for the less-active Lucrecia as she stepped back to check Tifa's condition.

The blond sighed as they entered a small, dilapidated village in the middle of the barren wasteland. The ramshackle huts were built with some sort of clay and painted to blend with the terrain. The cat-thing led them over to the largest house, which was still pretty small, and pushed the cloth door aside. It waited inside, holding the curtain open for everyone else.

Vincent walked in first with Cloud right at his heels. A man in his mid-thirties sat on a cushion on the opposite wall, his fingers touching in calm concentration. His eyes opened when footsteps sounded through the room. He recognized Vincent in the front and spoke, "Good to see you, my friend! It has been too long! Please, sit!" He gestured to the other cushions decorating the room.

Cloud sat down on a white one turned brown from the dirt floor and watched as Vincent turned to help bring Tifa inside. Once the stretcher was settled on the floor, he faced the other man once more, "Reeve, I -we- are in need of your assistance."

"Of course! What can I do?"

Vincent placed a hand on Tifa's shoulder with a soft motion. "This is Tifa… I spoke of her before, correct?"

Reeve nodded, "All too often, if my ears recall. What happened to her?"

"She housed a Goa'uld," he raised a hand to ease Reeve when he stood in shock, "It has been removed. However, her body is in need of a symbiote, or else she will die."

"Wait." Cloud stood up, "Why would we give her a symbiote? Wouldn't that just make her go psycho all over again?"

"Negative."

Reeve sighed. "You brought them here without explaining a thing? That makes matters more difficult for me." He leaned back. "Have you ever heard of the Tok'ra?"

Cloud shook his head. "No."

"I see. We, the Tok'ra, are a group of hosts whose symbiotes differ from the Goa'uld in many ways. Our main difference being that the symbiotes do not control their hosts, rather, we willingly share the body. We have many symbiotes here awaiting a new host. If you would be so kind as to take Tifa to the blending house, I will explain the situation to our new friends."

Cloud raised an eyebrow. "You trust us so easily?"

"If Vincent trusts you enough to lead you here, you must be worthy of our trust."

He nodded. "Alright. Doctor, Cid, go with Vincent to the… wherever it was."

Vincent nodded and took one end of the stretcher, waiting for Cid to take the other before standing and slowly walking out. Cloud, Yuffie, and Reeve all watched them go before turning to face one another again. Reeve leaned back once more. "So, then. What questions do you have?"

"Are you… Goa'uld?"

He inhaled sharply. "I will forgive your ignorance. Technically, yes. Our species is the same. However, you would be wise to never call a Tok'ra Goa'uld. We are very much against all the Goa'uld stand for and we do all that we can to fight them. Many of us do go undercover as Goa'uld, so do be wary of who it is you are fighting."

"Understood."

The black and white cat thing, Cait, as Vincent called it, looked up. "A symbiote has been selected. The blending'll commence shortly. Do ya want to watch?"

Cloud glanced at Reeve for approval and nodded. "Sure. Might as well learn all I can about our new allies."

***

Cloud stood at the side of the room, Cid to his left and Yuffie and Lucrecia to his right, watching as Vincent and another Tok'ra slowly moved Tifa from the stretcher to a pillowed bed in the center of the small room. Another near-lifeless body lay across from her as they shifted Tifa on her side to face the other.

"Elmyra has reached her end… Even symbiotes cannot keep one alive indefinitely. Shiva will move to Tifa's body, where they may save each other's lives," Reeve said as he came up from behind.

"Mm…" Cloud hummed slightly, watching as a symbiote sprang out of the older woman's neck and moved to Tifa quickly. It disappeared behind her shoulders and he could only shudder from his memories of Zack.

"I don't know what sort of Gaia medications you injected into her system, but she ought to wake within an hour. In the meantime, please, allow me to show you our village."

Cloud hummed absent-mindedly, giving Reeve some form of acknowledgement before following him out the door. He raised a hand against the glare of the setting sun, already beginning to hate desert-like planets.

***

Cloud sat in the blending house, watching Tifa's sleeping form. He glanced in Vincent's direction to find he had fallen asleep against the wall of the hut. He sighed and leaned back in his cushion, running a hand through his hair out of boredom. A feminine hum filled the air as the brunette situated in the center of the room sat up slowly. Her ruby eyes fell on Cloud and she spoke, tears shining in her eyes. "Are you the one who saved me? From the nightmares?"

Cloud stood and made his way over to her, sitting in the spot Elmyra had previously occupied. "I helped. You should thank Vincent over there, though," he pointed a thumb towards the sleeping man.

She nodded and lowered her voice to avoid waking him. "Thank you. Even for all the crimes I committed, you chose not to harm me."

"What?"

"When I was chained to that chair… You questioned me, but you never hurt me. Thank you."

"You remember that? I thought the Goa'uld was in control…"

"It was. I, as the host, was forced to watch as I murdered thousands… I could do nothing to stop it, however."

"That must've been rough. So what do you plan to do now?"

"I will… stay with you. I owe you a great debt for saving me."

"What about Vincent? He made it pretty clear that he wants you with him."

"If he is still the same man I remember, he will not deny me my debt."

"I'm not sure what you can do to help, other than supply information on the Goa'uld…"

"I have numerous years of training in various forms of martial arts. Not to mention my body still houses a symbiote and I will be able to use the hand device you pulled off of me."

"Hand device? You mean that weird, glowing thing that almost killed one of my subordinates?"

"I… am sorry for that. Allow me to explain. The device has two main functions. The first being a gust of power to force potential threats away; the other being what you spoke of. It hypnotizes the target and sends powerful waves through one's brain, causing outbursts of pain. It is a form of physical and mental torture, usable only by the Goa'uld."

"So that's why nothing happened when I tried it."

She nodded slowly, grimacing for a brief moment, "Shiva is getting accustomed to my body. She will likely take some time to get used to my personal makeup."

"Huh."

She raised her gaze slowly to look Cloud in the eye. "I really must thank you for saving me. I know you had only the desire to study me in mind when you took me from that Ha'tak."

"The what?"

A tiny smile graced her lips for the briefest of moments. "A Ha'tak. A Goa'uld mother ship on which I resided alongside my 'lord.'"

Cloud licked his dry lips quickly, his breathing hitching for a short moment. "So… we were in outer space then?"

"Yes."

Cloud swallowed, both wanting and dreading to ask the next question. "…What happened to Corel?"

Tifa took a deep breath. "The Ha'tak are equipped with various weapons that are capable of firing directly on a planet's surface. My 'lord' thought the citizens of Corel to be 'unworthy.' He ordered an attack… I assume the settlement was destroyed?"

"One little girl from the village survived, but four of my people were killed in the attack and one was taken by a Goa'uld."

Her hand flew to her lips. "I… I am truly horrible…" Her voice dropped to a whisper, "In exchange for my freedom, another had to be taken… Can the cycle ever be broken?"

He struggled to find another question, but was saved by the sound of a grunt from the side of the room. He looked over to find Vincent sitting up, eyes wide when they fell on Tifa. He jumped to his feet quickly and made his way over to her, stopping beside her and kneeling to eyelevel. He took her hands in his, "Tifa…"

She blinked, tears beginning to form once again. "Vincent, I…"

He moved his hand to place a finger over her lips. "Hush, Tifa."

Cloud got the feeling he was no longer welcome and stood to leave, calling back over his shoulder. "We'll leave tomorrow if Tifa's feeling well enough."

Vincent didn't turn. "Understood."

Cloud wandered through the desolate village, taking note of Cid's sleeping form propped against his spear in the center of town. He walked into the small house loaned to them for the night and scowled at Yuffie and Lucrecia, who were already sleeping soundly in the only two hammocks. He lay down on the dirt floor, using one of the cushions as a pillow. He closed his eyes, armor still fastened on his waist and shoulders, and drifted off to sleep with his sword within arms reach.

* * *

Okay! I am sorry for the delay, but like I said last time, I've started school. Updates will keep coming, just very slowly.

Also, I have a psychology assignment this semester, and I posted a poll on my profile to see if I could get live results. It is completely anonymous, and I'd really appreciate it if you could drop a vote. Thanks! I'm hoping to get 100 people, and I have three votes so far! Please and thank you!

-Valk


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